Categoria: Space

NASA is getting ready to make a significant announcement regarding astronauts in space custody.

NASA is on the verge of a significant decision regarding the future of astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have spent more than two months on the International Space Station. Their planned eight-day stay for a Boeing Starliner test flight has been prolonged due to issues during the spacecraft’s docking.

What is happening?

The mission, aimed at certifying Starliner for future missions, has faced various technical issues, including failures in multiple propulsors of the ship’s reaction control system crucial for the ISS decoupling and safe re-entry.

Imagem:
chsyys/iStock

Engineers and experts from NASA and Boeing have collaborated extensively to analyze data and ensure the safe return of astronauts. A Flight Readiness Review is scheduled for Saturday to make the final decision, followed by a press conference from NASA to announce the next steps.

What should you anticipate?

If experts determine that the Starliner’s return is too risky, Wilmore and Williams might need to extend their time at the ISS until February of the following year. In such a situation, they would return on the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, which has carried out 12 successful crewed missions. Consequently, this would lead to two astronauts being left out of the upcoming Crew-9 mission to make room for the Starliner astronauts.

If the Starliner cannot return the crew, the capsule should detach from the station and return to Earth without passengers. This potential failure may result in the ship needing a new test flight to be certified for future missions.

We are currently awaiting NASA’s ultimate choice, with the expectation that Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will come back safely, whether aboard Starliner or Crew Dragon.

junho 23, 2025
NASA scientists find an electric field surrounding the Earth.

Scientists have recently verified the presence of an electric field surrounding the Earth, called the ambipolar field, after over sixty years of research and speculation. This breakthrough, featured in the journal Nature, provides new insights into the evolution of Earth and other planets sharing similar atmospheres.

Researchers have verified that there is an electric field on Earth.

Scientists observed in the 1960s that particles were leaving the Earth rapidly through the poles, forming polar winds. The explanation provided was the presence of a weak electric field surrounding the Earth, although this field could not be identified using the technology of that era.

The discovery of the ambipolar field, an electric field, was recently confirmed by researcher Glyn Collinson and his team at NASA using a sensitive tool launched on a suborbital rocket in 2018.

Why is this finding significant?

The identification of the ambipolar field is not just about clarifying polar winds; it also has a significant role in supporting the ionosphere, a key layer of Earth’s atmosphere, essential for radio communication and shielding against solar radiation.

The electric field is over 10 times more powerful than gravity in speeding up hydrogen ions, which likely played a key role in ionosphere expansion and planet evolution.

junho 23, 2025
NASA has revealed the schedule for the return of the two astronauts stranded on the ISS.

NASA has delayed the return of astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams from the International Space Station to February 2025 due to technical issues with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft. The mission, originally planned to be eight days, will now be extended.

NASA acknowledges problems with Starliner and favors SpaceX.

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, created for ferrying astronauts to and from the ISS, has encountered propulsion system issues that hinder its operation, necessitating NASA to arrange for the return of astronauts Wilmore and Williams via a future SpaceX mission, Crew-9.

NASA has chosen to utilize SpaceX’s Crew Dragon for bringing back the astronauts to Earth instead of Starliner. The Crew-9 mission is set for February 2025.

What is life like on the International Space Station (ISS)?

While Wilmore and Williams wait to return, they maintain their routine at the ISS, which emphasizes self-sufficiency and resource recycling. Water, a precious commodity, is recycled from astronaut urine for consumption, and personal hygiene products are designed to conserve water.

Imagem: TomasHa73/GettyImages

Astronauts adhere to a strict standard for their meals, consuming powdered or prepared food meticulously planned for nutritional requirements. They often eat tortillas to prevent crumbs in the microgravity setting and have a small plant cultivation on the station for fresh food access.

What about well-being?

Living in space for extended durations poses major health challenges for astronauts, as the absence of gravity results in muscle mass and bone density decline, increasing the chances of bone fragility and kidney stone formation. The International Space Station (ISS) addresses these concerns by providing a gym for daily astronaut workouts; however, full reversal of these effects often only occurs upon their return to Earth.

junho 23, 2025
An asteroid collides with Earth, creating a spectacular scene in the sky; view the video.

An asteroid entered the Earth’s atmosphere last Wednesday afternoon, creating a spectacular fireball over the Philippines. Known as 2024 RW1, the asteroid was around 90 centimeters in diameter and was seen moving at a speed of 63,000 km/h. Images and videos of the event were shared on social media by internet users, capturing the interest of locals in the area.

A harmless asteroid transforms into a fireball in the skies of the Philippines.

The European Space Agency and NASA both anticipated that the asteroid would break apart upon nearing Luzon Island, the largest in the Philippines. They believed the event would be safe and would result in a striking display along the northern eastern coast in 2024.

The asteroid entered the atmosphere and was seen burning around 1 p.m. (local time) despite limited visibility caused by Typhoon Yahi, a storm with the strength of a Category 3 hurricane, hitting the Philippines as a tropical storm.

Watch the video:

Another asteroid, the 2024 ON, is set to approach Earth in the upcoming weeks. This asteroid, measuring approximately 228 meters in width, which is comparable to two football fields, will be observable from the Northern Hemisphere, posing no threat of impact.

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junho 23, 2025
Elon Musk relocates SpaceX workers from Brazil following X’s (Twitter) ban.

Elon Musk and Minister Alexandre de Moraes are in an ongoing conflict, leading SpaceX to remove its employees from Brazil and the STF to freeze Starlink accounts.

SpaceX relocates its staff and advises against traveling to Brazil.

An internal memo from the President of SpaceX, Gwynne Shotwell, has prompted officials to refrain from traveling to Brazil in the near future due to escalating tensions between Musk and Brazilian authorities following his defiance of the Supreme Court’s orders, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.

The Starlink embargo had a direct impact on SpaceX activities in Brazil, which is an important market for the company, particularly in rural regions like agribusiness and the Amazon rainforest. Currently, Starlink caters to around 42% of the satellite internet market in Brazil, serving approximately 250,000 customers.

The company is encountering difficulties with Anatel despite taking legal action to freeze their accounts. Brazil, known for its large population and remote areas, is seen as a key market for Elon Musk’s business in Latin America.

junho 23, 2025
NASA and SpaceX are getting ready to save astronauts stuck in space.

Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have a scheduled date to return to Earth after a period of uncertainty. NASA, collaborating with SpaceX, will launch the Crew-9 mission this week to bring the duo back from their mission at the International Space Station. The mission is set to launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Thursday (26).

What occurred to the astronauts?

Butch and Suni reached the ISS in June 2024 on the Boeing Starliner capsule for an experimental mission meant to last eight days. However, issues with the thrusters extended their stay on the station beyond the initial plan.

Starliner’s malfunction raised significant worries about the capsule’s safety in returning astronauts to Earth. Following extensive testing, NASA deemed it too risky to use Starliner for Wilmore and Williams. Consequently, SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission was selected as a safer alternative to bring the astronauts back.

Imagem: driles/Burst

SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission will make history as a “rescue mission” and the first crewed launch from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, with two crew members onboard the Crew Dragon ship.

Commander Nick Hague, the first active U.S. Space Force officer to go to space since the unit was established in 2019, is part of Crew-9, which also includes Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov of Roscosmos.

Why was Starliner not utilized?

The issues with the Starliner capsule started right after it reached the ISS in June. Multiple propulsors in the reaction control system, crucial for important re-entry maneuvers, had defects. Despite thorough tests on the ground and in space, NASA and Boeing teams couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason for the malfunction.

NASA chose to depend on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, a spacecraft that has successfully completed multiple missions to the ISS, due to ongoing uncertainties and the need to prioritize astronaut safety.

Throughway

junho 23, 2025
SpaceX sends to space the initial wooden satellite developed in Japan.

SpaceX launched the world’s first wooden satellite, named LignoSat, in a groundbreaking mission on Tuesday (5). Developed by researchers from the University of Kyoto and Sumitomo Forestry, this initiative sent the satellite to the International Space Station, showcasing a move towards sustainable space exploration by utilizing renewable materials.

SpaceX successfully sends the LignoSat satellite into space on a confidential mission.

The LignoSat is a compact satellite, named after the Latin term for “wood”, with the ambitious aim of showcasing wood as a viable resource for space building. It will be positioned in orbit around 400 km above Earth for testing under challenging space environments.

Imagem: JonPauling/DepositPhotos

Former astronaut Takao Doi, who is now a professor at the University of Kyoto, emphasized the significance of the experiment by stating that using wood, a material that can be self-produced, will enable the construction of sustainable living and working spaces in space indefinitely. This initiative is part of a long-term plan by the Doi team to explore the potential of constructing wooden buildings on the Moon and Mars, envisioning a future where humans can reside and work beyond Earth using renewable resources.

Wood is more resilient in space compared to Earth due to the absence of water and oxygen that lead to decay and swelling. This quality makes it a viable and environmentally friendly option for space missions, as stated by forest sciences professor Koji Murata from the University of Kyoto.

Using wood as a material for satellites provides a more environmentally friendly option for when these devices reach the end of their service life. Unlike metal satellites that release pollutants like aluminum oxide when reentering the atmosphere, a wooden satellite like LignoSat would burn up without leaving harmful waste behind, reducing its environmental impact. There is even the belief that in the future, metal satellites may be prohibited in favor of wood as a viable and safe alternative.

junho 23, 2025